in a corner of the broken world we gaze at the sky
by katanafleet
Summary: They lost a piece of themselves when William left home. Felicity's heart broke and never repaired when Oliver was declared missing. The day she sends her baby away is the day that Felicity Smoak disappears.


They name her Mia.

Their miracle, their bittersweet joy, their baby.

Oliver holds her like he fears he'll break her, and she smiles up at him, bright blue eyes beaming. He watches her every movement as if it's the last time he'll ever see her. Every time she makes a sound, he moves to check on her, hold her, and kiss her tiny forehead and hands.

Felicity watches, takes hundreds of pictures, and longs for the quiet moments of the night where she can hold her baby tightly and lean against Oliver's chest and whisper all of the hopes and dreams she has for them.

Dreams of finding William, bringing him home, showing him this tiny baby sister. Dreams of pealing laughter in the house, Oliver's footsteps chasing a tiny girl in circles, Felicity and William cheering from the couch.

Dreams of a family, together at last.

They both know it isn't possible. Things don't happen like that anymore.

Dreams are born to disappear like mist in the breeze. There's something far stronger than a breeze blowing now.

Star City is imploding, the Glades finally rising against the rest of the city. Rene's at the helm of the mission, Dinah and Roy fighting alongside her. They promise, Felicity and Dinah and Roy and Oliver and John, to keep Star City alive.

With the destruction of Star City comes the loss of a dream.

William never comes home. Oliver disappears when Mia is eight months old. Felicity changes into what Laurel predicted she would become.

They lost a piece of themselves when William left home. Felicity's heart broke and never repaired when Oliver was declared missing. The day she sends her baby away is the day that Felicity Smoak disappears.

She becomes a whisper, a dark hand working from beneath, the Calculator. Her plans become secret, even Dinah melting into the shadows and Roy disappearing to Lian Yu as Rene's government crushes any Star City rebellion. Slowly, she builds an army of weapons and blackmail, for that's all that remains.

The Green Arrow is forgotten, a long-lost myth. The Canaries work in secret, both too in love with the memory of a father and a team to truly fight Governor Ramirez. Felicity Smoak has no such qualms. Why should she? She has nothing left to lose. The Green Arrow had a family when the darkest streets of the Glades were his; the Canaries remember the sound of a song. They can't do as she does.

As she watches Star City, plotting to bring down the Glades, she looks for the Green Arrow. She watches over his daughter. Felicity Smoak knows that it takes far more than a single falling building to kill Oliver Queen, and she knows that it won't take Blackstar long to need enough money to do a favor for Felicity Smoak. Even though she's the mother who abandoned her.

She finds William Clayton. The security footage is blurry, but she knows that Oliver's son is sitting near the wall of the coffee shop, watching the countertop for a latte. He turns a small stone over in his hands, and Felicity's heart flips over in her chest.

There is hope, after all. Somehow. The mask of the Calculator melts away as she stares at her son, grown-up and finding the message within the hōzen.

This, then, will be how she brings her family back together. With William and Mia by her side, they'll find Oliver. Star City may not return to its former glory, but at least the Queens will be ready for the final battle. It's coming soon; she knows this.

Now, it's time for her to disappear. Even though William won't find his way to Lian Yu for quite some time, she has little to spare.

She stands across the street as smoke billows from the Calculator's hideout and the Glade's soldiers storm the building. There, they will find the body of a woman of average height, burned grey-blonde hair, and DNA that matches Felicity Smoak. It's time for the Calculator to die and Felicity to return.

Her message to her daughter simply reads "Alive." Mia will wait for her to send more instructions, playing the menace of the cage fights in the meantime; Smoaks are very good at waiting, after all. William will follow the hōzen's call and learn he has a sister.

Then, it will be Felicity's turn to reenter the light. Her children deserve explanations for all she's done for them.


End file.
